How Do You Format The Spenserian Sonnet?
The 16th-century poet Edmund Spenser, author of “The Faerie Queene,” is credited with first formatting what is known as the Spenserian sonnet. Here’s how to format one. The first thing to make note of in writing the sonnet is that Spenser’s rhyme scheme uses the octave, which is eight rhyming lines, and the sestet, which is six rhyming lines. The specific rhyme scheme is ababbcbc cdcdee. Decide on an effective topic for your sonnet–ideas concerning love, love lost or nature have been the traditional focus. Format your ideas into the Spenserian octave/sestet rhyme scheme, as shown in Step 2. The first four lines, for example, are abab:I love you very much my dear.Let’s stay oh so close.Yes, year after yearAnd make each holiday toast.
